Mechanical toy.



N0 MODEL.

W/ TNESSES:

J. FLAHERTY. MECHANICAL TOY.

PATENTBD APR. 14, 1903.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 18, 1902.

N A ITOR/VE rs.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FLAHERTY, OF'NEW YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICALITOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,432, dated April 14, 1903.

Application filed July 18, 1902.

510 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN FLAHERTY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mechanical Toy, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a mechanical toy designed to imitate a snake.

According to myinvention the body of the toy is constructed to represent a snake and is formed of several sections jointed together, so that by independently moving these sections the toy may be given a sinuous appearance,representing a snake in movement. .The toy is also provided with a forked tongue at the front, representing the fangs of the snake. This tongue is moved rapidly back and forth as the snake moves, so as to give the impression of a snake advancing to strike. Clockwork or other motive devices are contained in the body to propel the toy.

This specification is an exact description of one example of my invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1' is a section on the line 1 l of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

According to the construction here shown the body of the snake is formed of four sections, (designated a, b, c, and cl.) These sections are formed, preferably, of metal suit-- ably covered to represent the skin of a snake and joined by hinges 6, made of flexible fabric, leather, or the like, so as to permit the independent movement of the sections without disclosing any mechanical connection. The sections are further connected by a hinge f between the sections a and d, hinges g between the sections and c, and hinges h between the sections aand b. These hinges are all arranged with vertical pintles or axes, so that the sections of the snake move in a horizontal plane.

1' indicates a clockwork or any other suitable form of motor, which is mounted in the main section b and drives the wheels 2",

Serial No. 116,065. (No model.)

which form not only traction-wheels, but the supporting-wheels for the main part of the toy.

'5 indicates a crank driven from the clockwork i and having links '5 and 2' connected therewith, these links respectively extend ing forward and rearward to impart swinging movement to the sections a and 0, respectively. The link-r is connected with the section a through the medium of an arm k in turn attached to a frame which is fas tened in the rear end of the section a, so that as the rod 4 reciprocates the section ais caused to swing around :the center of the hinge h from one side to the other of the section b. The link i is connected with an arm 0 on the section 0 at a point at one side of the center of the hinge g to cause the proper movement'of the section 0. The section dis not positively driven, but is weighted at its outer end, as indicated at d, and it being thus weighted as it swings with the section c it is given a slight movement independently of said section owing to the inertiaof the weight 61. I Mounted in the frame 7c is a wheel 7 J,Whl(3l1 not only supports the front end of the toy, but also drives the crank I0 and this crank is connected by a rod 70 with the longitudinally-movable tongue Z, which projects beyond the head a of the toy and represents the fangs of thesnake.

.After the motor t' is wound up and the device placed on the floor, table, or other surface the toy will move steadilyforward by the action of the wheels t", and also the sections a and 0 will be swung on the section b, one to the right and the other simultaneously therewith to the left, and vice versa, and the section 61 will have a relatively slight wriggling movement onthe section 0. As the wheel 70 turns from frictional engagement with the supporting-surface it will impart a steady inand-out movement to the tongue Z.

It will be observed that this construction produces an extremely life-like representation of a snake. It will also be observed that the form of the motor 2' is not material to my invention. I desire it distinctly understood that the motive power may be derived from 3 any suitable source.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a mechanical toy, the combination with a body portion having a motor, of a headsection' hinged to the front end of the body portion; a tongue member extending longitudinally of said head-section and projectinEI ,from the front end thereof, and a wheel carried by the head-section for moving said tongue member back and forth longitudinally, said wheel being operated by frictional contact with the floor, as specified and for the purpose set forth.

2. A mechanical toy comprising a main section having a motor, sections pivotally connected to the ends of said main section to form a continuation of the body of the animal and adapted to swing thereupon in a horizontal plane; and pitman-rods connecting the end sections at one side of their pivot-points to a crank on the motor to impart to said end sections a positive movement simultaneously in opposite directions from each other.

In a mechanical toy, the combination with a main section having a motor for propelling the toy, of asecond and third section hinged respectively to the front and rear ends of the main section; means connected with the motor for positively swinging said end sections back and forth from right to left, with respect to the main section, said end sections always simultaneously swinging in opposite directions, a tongue member adapted to project from the forward end of the front member of the toy and means for imparting a back-and-forth movement to said member, said movement always being in a direction longitudinal with respect to the front section of the toy.

4:. A mechanical toy, comprising a main section having a motor, front and rear sections pivotally connected to said main section to form a continuation of the body of the animal, and adapted to swing thereupon in a horizontal plane, said rear section being formed in two parts hinged together, the extreme one of said parts being Weighted, and pitman-rods connecting the front section and the forward one of the rear sections at one side of their pivot-points to a crank on the motor, to impart to said end sections a positive lateral movement simultaneously in opposite directions from each other.

5. A mechanical toy having a main section and a motor, a head-section pivotally connected to said main section, a tongue member extending longitudinal of the head-section and having free longitudinal movement therein, and a wheel carried by the head-section of the toy, said tongue member having its front end projecting from the forward end of the head-section, and its rear end connected to a crank carried upon the axle of,

said Wheel, whereby said tongue member is thrust hack and forth longitudinally as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN FLAIIERTY.-

\Vitn esses:

JNo. M. BITTER, F. W. HANAFORI). 

